Three Parts of One Whole
I’m fractured, not physically injured, but torn between me, myself, and I. When the sun rises it is not I who wakes to meet the day, but rather Myself who manages the menial tasks. He prepares breakfast, packs for crew, and finishes whatever homework remains. Myself is very quiet. He Enjoys his time alone and hates the company of others which can be hard for us. However once we prepare to leave the comfort of our home, Me steps in. Me is the guy everyone knows. He is loud, obnoxious, and moderately crazed. He often ruins the good work that Myself and I do, but he can’t help it. I can’t really bring myself to hate Me either because he can be himself with others. I cannot appear when others are around, Myself only enjoys …show more content…
Every kind of person that could exist does and anyone can become anything, or so i’m told. The reality of this is that one's identity is developed and shaped primarily by the boundaries which society places on them. Their ideas of a good job or cool person are but echoes of social norms and stereotypes. This endless crashing of what society deems to be good and bad greatly reduces the paths and adventures people seek as they grow older. Eventually all the small and great things that make people so interesting dissolve in a sea of social values. Ralph ellison's the invisible man shows that a person should not be bound to the images and desires of others, but should instead be the one to form and question their own …show more content…
He, told to deliver letters by his ex-principal, prepares to do so. In his preparation he observes a figure in a suit which sparks a series of stereotypes: “ I imagined myself making a speech and caught in striking poses by flashing cameras… I would be charming” (ellison 164). At the surface this looks like a childish longing to be noticed and carry some importance in society. However at a symbolic level this is one of the first instances of I.M.’s invisibility. It carries important weight because it displays his willingness to put on a mask to please others. He is but a small cog in a large machine, it didn’t matter if he was an iron or a steel one so long as he did his job. Thus it doesn’t matter what persona he puts on because at the end of the day he will just be a small piece of something much bigger. He is restricted from behaving how he wants because he wishes to be a part of something he currently perceives as powerful. “(I) couldn’t speak that way in the south… I would have one way of speaking in the north and another in the south… give them what they wanted” (Ellison 164). The desire to please and hold a social standing can rarely exist with one's true self. In these excerpts I.M. is still bound by the shackles of stereotypes and racism. He is still asking everyone but himself who he should be. He is invisible not because others cannot see him but
I’m fractured, not physically injured, but torn between me, myself, and I. When the sun rises it is not I who wakes to meet the day, but rather Myself who manages the menial tasks. He prepares breakfast, packs for crew, and finishes whatever homework remains. Myself is very quiet. He Enjoys his time alone and hates the company of others which can be hard for us. However once we prepare to leave the comfort of our home, Me steps in. Me is the guy everyone knows. He is loud, obnoxious, and moderately crazed. He often ruins the good work that Myself and I do, but he can’t help it. I can’t really bring myself to hate Me either because he can be himself with others. I cannot appear when others are around, Myself only enjoys …show more content…
Every kind of person that could exist does and anyone can become anything, or so i’m told. The reality of this is that one's identity is developed and shaped primarily by the boundaries which society places on them. Their ideas of a good job or cool person are but echoes of social norms and stereotypes. This endless crashing of what society deems to be good and bad greatly reduces the paths and adventures people seek as they grow older. Eventually all the small and great things that make people so interesting dissolve in a sea of social values. Ralph ellison's the invisible man shows that a person should not be bound to the images and desires of others, but should instead be the one to form and question their own …show more content…
He, told to deliver letters by his ex-principal, prepares to do so. In his preparation he observes a figure in a suit which sparks a series of stereotypes: “ I imagined myself making a speech and caught in striking poses by flashing cameras… I would be charming” (ellison 164). At the surface this looks like a childish longing to be noticed and carry some importance in society. However at a symbolic level this is one of the first instances of I.M.’s invisibility. It carries important weight because it displays his willingness to put on a mask to please others. He is but a small cog in a large machine, it didn’t matter if he was an iron or a steel one so long as he did his job. Thus it doesn’t matter what persona he puts on because at the end of the day he will just be a small piece of something much bigger. He is restricted from behaving how he wants because he wishes to be a part of something he currently perceives as powerful. “(I) couldn’t speak that way in the south… I would have one way of speaking in the north and another in the south… give them what they wanted” (Ellison 164). The desire to please and hold a social standing can rarely exist with one's true self. In these excerpts I.M. is still bound by the shackles of stereotypes and racism. He is still asking everyone but himself who he should be. He is invisible not because others cannot see him but